Isn’t digital technology amazing? A decade ago, it would have been unthinkable to print your own photos at home. It would have been the kind of thing that prompted the question, “What, do you have a darkroom in your basement?” But today, we have the option of not only taking photos digitally and modifying them with our own computer programs, we no longer have to have them professionally printed! With the click of a button on our own home computer, we can have our own photos printed at home, without ever leaving the house!

The problem, of course, is getting our printer to create an image that looks real. While you may have a printer that can print good, professional-quality photos, you still need to find the right type of paper to use. Don’t you think it’s a strange detail? But as ridiculous as it sounds, the difference between a professional-quality image and a cheap printed snapshot can be as simple as the difference between glossy photo paper and regular copy paper.

But does the type of paper you use really matter that much? If it does! Having a print that looks like a quality photo requires the right kind of glossy photo paper; otherwise, your photo could look like a quickly printed birthday card. Don’t you want your photos to look their best?

Another reason to use glossy photo paper is for long-lasting effects. While many types of paper can make your photo look good, an acid-free glossy photo paper will help ensure your photo has a long life expectancy. A good glossy photo paper will be able to protect your photos from stains, water, and the long-term harmful effects that some acidic papers will have. Using a good glossy photo paper can improve the quality of the photos you print and can increase the amount of time your photo lasts.

So when you’re looking for a stack of paper to print your Christmas cards on, or maybe just print some photos for Grandma, make sure you’re not just looking for plain computer paper. Your images will come out much better and last much longer if you use a good, high-quality glossy photo paper. You don’t need to go to a copy shop to get a good quality print; you just need a good printer and the right type of paper.